Disclaimer: Not mine. And the following is rather short, I know. That's what happens sometimes.

The Time Has Come

"So you're back," a bored voice intoned from behind. It belonged to a small, blue imaginary friend who looked like he'd seen better days. His eyes had bags and he was considerably thinner than he remembered.

"After you abandoned me." There was no question of sarcasm, outrage, or any other trace of an emotion. It was a simple fact and the creature stated it simply. However, his eyes, wide and pained, betrayed his words. The anguish every imaginary friend feels when their creator finally outgrows them and then, his conscious decision to never be a human's puppet again. Mr. Herriman had disapproved of course, but Frankie had merely shaken her head, watching him reject every offer of help and further withdraw into his shell. Children didn't even approach him anymore and that was the way he liked it.

"I…I grew up." He explained softly, kneeling down to the creature's level. He scoffed and turned away, blinking back tears he'd sworn never to waste on his creator again. He folded his arms across his chest and looked outward, towards the new imaginary friends being adopted. Anywhere but at him.

"Mr. Herriman was right. No one ever stays with their imaginary friends." Without a second glance, the creature shifted away, not wanting this conversation. He hadn't wanted to see him again, yet here he was, his brat running around for an imaginary friend. His wife was around here too, but he didn't care. He'd never hated anyone more in his life…for being his friend and then leaving him to wither and die.

"I-I'm sorry-" he stammered, following him.

"Save it!" The creature squawked. "I don't care anymore!"

"But-"

"No. I hate you. I hate you and all the other stupid humans who imagined friends just to abandon them. You're all alike. You pretend to be our friends but when the next better thing comes around, you leave. We're stupid toys to you, to be thrown in the trash at the best possible convenience. You just outgrew me later than the others."

Stomping off to watch Wilt be adopted for the third time, he ignored the approaching footsteps behind him. Even when he placed a hand on his shoulder, he pretended he wasn't even there. There was a still silence, broken only by the raucous cries of children. The creature hung his head low and the human swallowed hard, only able to guess at the thoughts whizzing through his imaginary friend's mind.

"It's not like I had a choice."

Furious, spinning on him, he snarled, "You had a choice! You always have a choice! You chose to forget me! You wish I never existed, don't you? Don't you?"

"That isn't true! I spent the best years of my life here!" the human protested, kneeling down to pat him on the back. The imaginary friend recoiled as if burned.

"Don't touch me. You disgust me."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you-"

"Then you shouldn't have come. You should have left me alone! I don't want to talk to you! I don't want to see you! I can't deal with it!"

Tears streaming down his face, the creature took off at a record speed and zoomed into the house. The human stood to follow, but Frankie intercepted him. She wore a sad smile when she glanced at him and his imaginary friend. Sadly, she'd seen this all too often.

"He's been like that a lot. I'm sorry," she murmured, gazing through the window at the creature, now burying his face and howling. "When you left him…I think the part of him that was alive just died. We've tried everything we can…but he won't move on. Sometimes that happens with imaginary friends. Sometimes they get too attached to their creators."

"If you see him again, would you tell him I'm sorry?" the human whispered, watching his daughter select a friend and Herriman sign the paperwork. It was time to go. He'd overstayed his welcome.

"I can try, but I doubt it'll do any good."

Turning away from him, she entered the house to comfort the morose creature. He was left to think his own thoughts and, as he drove away, he only glanced once back at the house that had given him so many memories. He wished he could say he truly regretted leaving him…but life had simply forced him along. He'd grown up and away from him.

"What are you thinking?" His wife asked, frowning.

"Nothing," he answered, sighing. "Nothing at all."

…

Author's Note: I won't lie. Writing parts of this made me cry. And if you didn't figure out who the characters were in here, well...I'm not saying anything.

Oh, and I really wouldn't recommend listening to "When Somebody Loved Me" by Sarah McLaughlin from the Toy Story 2 Soundtrack while you're reading this. You'll probably start crying like I am.

This is a one-shot. No sequels.